Puzzle.



No. 826,902. PATENTED JULY24, 1906. W. W. SMITH.

PUZZLE. APPLIOATIOH FILED MAR. 23, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE PUZZLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

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Application filed March 23 1906. Serial No- 307.690-

To an whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM W. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Edgeworth, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides means to afford amusement, as well as to acquire skill in the manipulation of any article to be held in the hand.

The invention appertains to a puzzle of the type embodying a board or like support and objects movable thereon by tilting the board or support in different directions from the horizontal.

An essential feature of the invention is to afford diversion in devices of the type aforesaid, whereby one of the movable obj ects is adapted to mount another one of the objects and be carried thereby into an inclosure or compartment, the ob'ect so carried being designated as the spi er or rider,whereas the object ridden is designated as the fly or carrier. The carrier or fly in its normal condition by reason of its lateral extent is prevented from entering the compartment or inclosure; but when the spider or rider is mounted thereon its lateral extent is reduced by the folding of the wings or corresponding parts to admit of the carrier or fly entering the compartment or inclosure with its prey.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions by changes in the structure and minor details without departing from the spirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a puzzle embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the butterfly or carrier, the wings or laterally-extended movable parts being omitted. Fig. 3is a detail perspective view of the butterfly or carrier with the spider or rider in position so as to effect a folding of the wings of the carrier.' Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section of the butterfly or carrier and the board or support, showing the forward ends of the antennae received in the depression or opening of the board. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the butterfly or carrier on the line is a; of Fig. t.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The board or support 1 may be of any size and construction and is provided with a rim 2 to prevent displacement of the movable ob j ects placed thereon. A portion of the board or support is partitioned off to form an inclosure or compartment 3, having an opening 4, by means of which ingress and egress are effected. For convenience the board or support is illustrated as of rectangular form and the inclosure or compartment 3 is arranged in one corner, the space inclosed by the rim 2 being subdivided by partitions 5, which are projected inwardly from adjacent portions of the rim, the inner ends of the partitions being spaced apart a distance to form the openings 4. Openings or depressions 6 are provided in the surface of the board or support for the purpose presently to be eX- plained.

The objects provided for cooperation with the board or'support 1 are of two'types, the one representing a butterfly or arthropod and the other being spherical and designated as the spider. The sphere or ball 7 may be of any material and is preferably designated by the term spider, although it may be properly referred to under the general designation of rider because of its function namely, to mount the butterfly or like object and be carried thereby into the inclosure or compartment 3. The spider 7 may be of any size and weight, the latter being important because of its adaptation and cooperation with the butterfly to effect contraction of the lateral spread thereof.

The butterfly or analogous object may be properly referred to as the carrier, since its purpose is to bring the rider safely into the in closure or compartment and without which the carrier is prevented from entering said inclosure or compartment because of its lateral extent. The carrier comprises a body 8, wings 9, and movable actuating part 10. The body has a base portion 11 to obtain an extended purchase upon the board or supi 4 and which folded by the spider admit of the opposite inclination from a line correspondport, and its upper side is inclined, the rear I ends being forked or bifurcated to provide a claw 12 to facilitate the entrance of the spider or rider and direct the same upon the back or inclined top side of the carrier. The wings 9 are representative of movable parts which in their normal position prevent the butterfly or carrier from passing through the opening carrier passing through said opening. The movable actuating part 10 represents the antennae and the legs, the forward extremities of the antenna; 13 being upturned, as shown at 14, to provide stops to retain the spider 7 in place. The legs 15 are rearwardly diverged and assist materially in placing the carrier laterally. The antennae and legs may be formed in any manner and preferably are of integral structure and are connected by a cross-piece 16, which forms the pivotal connection between the movable actuating part and the body of the carrier. The legs 15 extend beneath the wings or movable parts and when thrown upward cause the wings or movable parts 9 to fold to reduce the lateral spread of the device, whereby it is enabled to pass through the opening 4. The parts 13, 15, and 16 are portions of a sin le length of wire which is doubled upon itself and has the folded end bent upon itself about as shown, antennae and legs being arranged at an ing with the cross-piece 16, whereby when the antennae are upwardly extended the legs rest upon the surface of the board or support 1, but when said antennae are depressed by the spider 7 the legs are thrown upward and effect a folding of the wings or movable parts. The carrier in the preferred structure being representative of a butterfly and the part 7 simulating the globular form of a spider are suggestive of the title by means of which the puzzle may be designatedthat is, the Spider and the fly. Obviously the carrier may have any form so long as it embodies movable parts, and the spider may likewise be of any form whereby it is adapted to mount and ride upon the carrier and actuate one of the movable parts to effect a folding of other parts to reduce its spread and enable it to enter the opening leading to an inclosure or compartment. The puzzle is solved by manipulating the board or support in a way to cause the rider to mount the carrier and actuate the part 10 so as to efiect a folding of the wings 9, after which a tilting and manipulation of the board will cause the carrier to enter the inclosure or compartment, bearing the rider or spider captive.

In order to dislodge the rider from the carrier, the board or support is-manipulated until the depressed portions of the antennae enter the openings or depressions 6, after which a sidewise tilting of the board will cause the rider to clear the antennae, which will fly upward at their outer ends by the superior weight of the legs 15 and the Wings or movable parts 9.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new'is 1. In a puzzle, a support adapted to be tilted from the horizontal, a carrier mounted upon the support and comprising movable members, and a rider adapted to be operated by manipulation of said board to cause it to mount the carrier and effect movement of the said movable members.

2. In a puzzle, the combination of a board or like support, a carrier mounted upon the board and comprising movable members and an actuating element, the rider likewise mounted upon the board and like the carrier adapted to be set in motion by tilting of the board to cause it to mount the carrier and operate the actuating element thereof to effect movement of its movable members.

3. In a puzzle, the combination of a board or like support, a carrier comprising a movable actuator and pivoted members, and a rider for operating the actuator whereby the pivoted members of the carrier are in turn operated.

4. In a puzzle, the combination of a board or like support, a carrier comprising pivoted members and an actuator, the latter embody ing oppositely-inclined parts pivotally connected to the body of the carrier, and a rider mounted upon the board with the carrier, both adapted to be actuated by tilting of said board, whereby the rider is caused to mount the carrier and operate the actuator to effect folding of said pivoted members.

5. In a puzzle, the combination of a board or like part, the carrier having a body and laterally extended pivoted members, an actuator pivoted between its ends to the body and having upwardly and forwardly extended portions and other parts extending upon opposite sides of the body, and a rider adapted to operate the actuator to effect folding of the laterally-extendedmem* bers of the carrier.

6. In combination, a board or like support adapted to be manipulated to effect operation of devices placed thereon, a carrier placed upon the board and comprising a body having its top side inclined, wings pivoted to the sides of the body, and a movable actuator embodying transversely-spaced upwardly and forwardly extended parts and members arranged upon opposite sides of the body and beneath said carrier and effecting depression of the forwardly-extended portion of the actuator, whereby the Wings are folded, and a rider for operating the actuator to effect folding of the wings.

7. In combination, a carrier comprising a body, pivoted extensions and a movable actuator, the latter comprising a cross-piece and transversely-spaced forward and rearward extensions, the latter being diverged and extending beneath the pivoted extensions of the carrier and along opposite sides of the body thereof, and a rider to mount the carrier and pass upon the forward extensions of the actuator and overbalance the same and effect a folding of the lateral extensions of said carrier.

8. In combination, a board or support having a depression in its surface, a carrier comprising pivoted members and a movable actuator, and a rider for o crating the actuator and adapted to be dislodged from the part of the actuator supporting the rider when the same enters the depression in the surface.

9. A puzzle comprising a board having an inclosure, a carrier comprising pivoted memthe latter is enabled to carry the rider into the inclosure.

10. In a puzzle, the combination of a board having an inclosure provided with an opening, a carrier having pivoted members normovement of the pivoted members of said carrier, whereby the latter is enabled to pass through the opening leading to the inclosure and carry the rider therewith.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. SMITH.

Witnesses:

WM. S. JoNEs, WILLIAM L. CHURCH. 

